Step back in time to an era of flappers and suffragists, bootleggers and temperance lobbyists, and real-life legends like Al Capone and Carry Nation.
Created by the National Constitution Center, American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition [2] is the first comprehensive exhibition about America’s most colorful and complex constitutional hiccup.
Spanning from the dawn of the temperance movement, through the Roaring '20s, to the unprecedented repeal of a constitutional amendment, this world premiere exhibition brings the whole story of Prohibition vividly to life.
Experience the Prohibition era through:
- Over 100 rare artifacts including flapper dresses, authentic barware, temperance propaganda and original ratification copies of the 18th and 21st Amendments
- A re-created speakeasy where you can learn to Charleston and watch a live theater performance that illuminates Prohibition's impact on society
- Films, music, photos and multimedia exhibits including the dazzling Wayne Wheeler's Amazing Amendment Machine, a 20-foot-long, carnival-inspired contraption that traces how the temperance movement culminated in the 18th Amendment
- A custom-built video game where you serve as a federal agent tracking down rumrunners.
American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition is curated by Daniel Okrent, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. In connection with this exhibition and the Center’s Civility & Democracy initiative, the National Constitution Center also is partnering with Ken Burns and PBS, which aired Burns’ three-part documentary on Prohibition in fall 2011.
American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.